The Republic of Georgia is considered to be the birthplace of wine – with supporting archaeological evidence dating back to 6000 BC. But is there more than pure historical interest in this fact? Indeed! An ancient Georgian winemaking technique unearthed by the archaeologists has become a passion once again, in modern Georgia: the qvevri method, recognized by UNESCO as the oldest winemaking tradition on the World Heritage list.

These natural wines made with wild airborne yeast have a cider-like nose and oxidized taste reminiscent of sherry. Though the method is rooted in ancient Georgia, modern winemakers around the world have now created an “amber/orange” wine trend, a renaissance of white wine vinified with skin contact which first took place with the use of qvevri. An example of amber wine is available on our wine list by the glass.

Another reason to take a look at Georgian wine is the exciting profusion of native grape varieties: over 500 of them, unknown to most of the world. Wines made from some of these varietals will be paired with the dinner menu. A few years ago, USAID invited six food and wine professionals to visit the Republic of Georgia. Janet Cam was one of them. She has been an enthusiastic proponent of these value-for-money wines ever since, placing them on client wine lists.

Chef Joud Achkar has carefully paired each course to showcase the versatility as well as the unique characters of each wine. We look forward to sharing with you!